Looking Into The Eyes of Jesus

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

You may not know a lot about the science of nonverbal communication,

But I am sure you are very adapt at using it.

Non- verbal communication is communicating with out words.

We do it all the time, gestures, posture, body movement, facial expression

and eye contact, all speak to us, often louder than a person’s words.

There is a whole science devoted to eye contact: "oculesics".

"How we look at other people, meet their gaze and look away can make all the

difference between an effective encounter and one that leads to

embarrassment or even rejection."

(http://www.bremercommunications.com/Eye_Contact.htm)

Most of us in the US are comfortable with about 2 seconds of direct eye

contact.

Anything longer and we know that something is going on.

It could mean someone is flirting with you or it could

mean someone is about ready to attack you.

Avoiding eye contact can be a signal of the desire to hide something.

It breeds suspicion.

We can send messages of arrogance, contempt, ridicule, boredom all with

our eyes.

With a glance you can communicate all your emotions.

Lets look at some examples,

you tell me what emotional response you have by looking into the

eyes of others.

Power Point Presentation: EYES

Would you agree that the look in someone’s eyes communicates volumes of

information to you?

We poetically say:

"The eyes are the windows to the soul; if you look into them long enough,

one's true self is revealed." Nicole Dawson

[

Guilliaume de Salluste, Seigneur Du Bartas (1544-1590): "These lovely lamps, these windows of the soul." (Divine Weeks and Works, 1578, Sixth Day).

“The splendor of the soul reflects through the whole being, not only through a pair of eyes.”

http://nustaffsite.gunadarma.ac.id/blog/ssiregar/2008/06/04/the-eyes-are-the-window-to-the-soul/

]

I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I do know that the look in a person’s eyes

communicates to us.

If you looked into the eyes of Jesus what do you think you would find

communicated there?

Take just moment, close your eyes, and imagine yourself looking into the

eyes of Jesus.

What do His eyes say to you?

Over the next couple of weeks I want us to look into the eyes of Jesus.

I wish we could look into His eyes like we can look into each others.

That would turn the whole exercise into an encounter.

Maybe you could make it your prayer that God would bless you with such

an experience as we consider what we see when we look into the eyes

of Jesus.

Here’s what I think you’ll see.

Here’s what Jesus’ eyes are saying to you.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (NIV)

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

I’m going to break this up for us to consider.

Today well contemplate verse 4. And catch the rest during the next three

weeks.

Let’s read verse 4 again:

1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV)

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

1. When you look into the eyes of Jesus he tells you that He is patient. Makrothumeo

We’ve all been impatient.

I know I sure get impatient.

“Come on lets hurry up we’ll be late,

I’ll be in the car.

Let’s get going.”

I’ve not only been that way with circumstances,

I’ve been impatient with myself.

Ever get frustrated with yourself over the things you do or fail to do?

You want to change, but the progress is so slow.

I still have the residual effects of projecting my own impatience on others

and demand that they function on my time schedule.

I began to see my demand was causing relational problems so

I’ve backed off, at least in my own opinion.

Why don’t they get it?

Why can’t they see what they’re doing?

Why can’t the see where they are headed?

I discovered that my “impatience is much more a matter of selfishness than

timeliness.” (Burke, p. 37)

But then I look into the eyes of Jesus and see Him say to me

I’ll “wait without demanding change,

I’ll wait without anxiety,

I’ll wait without anger” (Burke, p. 35 H. Dale Burke, A Love That Never Fails, Moody Press,

Chicago 1999)

I’ll wait for you.

There is patience in Jesus eyes that say:

Don’t worry, I’ll hang in there with you.

Despite your slow progress.

Despite the times you’ve sinned.

I won’t nag you

Psalms 103:13-14 (NIV)

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

I’m patient with you.

“Patience is the work of love that waits.” (Burke, p.34)

“Patience: is the work of love that waits with contentment.

(Burke, p.35)

When you look in Jesus eyes He says I’ll wait for you to change.

To become the person I created you to be.

2. When you look into the eyes of Jesus he tells you that He is kind

chrsteuomai

“Kindness:

“is tendency to see a need and meet it” (Burke, p. 39)

“Kindness:

“always takes the initiative to help” (Burke, p. 40)

Consider the kindness of Christ in the story of the woman taken in adultery

John 8:3-10 (NIV)

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

What compassion!

What an example of overcoming evil with good.

This woman was obviously sinning,

Yet Jesus meets the affront to righteousness with kindness that

allows this person to change.

I’m not always kind.

Sometimes I am judge, jury and executioner.

But in Jesus eyes there is this compassion for my situation.

And it’s his kindness that gives me room to repent of my sin.

In verse 4 we read that love does not envy.

Envy the way we commonly use the word means to resent.

We resent what others have, what others are,

We are envious of them, we wish we had what they have,

In its worse forms, envy says I’ll take what you have.

It makes perfect sense that when you look into the eyes of Jesus you see that

there is no envy there, no resentment.

There is another aspect to envy.

Envy can also have a jealous component to it.

Jealousy is all about “possession and control.” (Burke, p. 44)

“Jealousy is a burning desire to have what I cannot or do not have.”

(Burke, p. 44)

Therefore we can say that:

3. When you look into the eyes of Jesus he tells you that He has no desire to

control you.

If I have no desire to control you, it must mean that I trust you.

Trust is the currency in any relationship.

I feel absolutely no need to control my wife,

because I know that Carol will do what is best in any given situation.

I trust her.

She is going to do what is right.

When I look into the eyes of Jesus I see that He trusts me to do what is right.

It kind of makes me nervous because sometimes I think His trust is

misplaced,

but that look in His eyes says I expect you to do well.

And that motivates me to live up to His expectation.

I don’t want to disappoint Him.

I don’t want to squander this treasure of His trust.

4. When I look into the eyes of Jesus I see that He’s not arrogant.

The scripture reads “not boastful” [Perpereupmai]

Arrogance is an attitude of superiority.

It comes with a sense of self-importance, self-conceit

From the tabloids, Lindsey Lohan would be a good example of

arrogance, of insolence, of disdain.

It’s that whole entitlement thing.

I’m better than you are, I’m more important than you are.

It’s all about me.

But that’s not what the eyes of Christ communicate.

When you look into His eyes, you see the King of Kings and Lord of Lords,

The Savior of the World, your Master,

and you also see that He doesn’t look down on you,

He respects who you are.

He doesn’t diminish you.

We use the term down to earth, a regular guy, when someone of higher

station treats us with respect, is mindful about us.

There is no sense of a need to impress, or wow us,

Its like they treat us like equals,

Even though we realize we’re not.

Jesus’ look towards you lifts you up in a very similar fashion.

Then finally today

5. When I look into the eyes of Jesus I see that he is humble.

The scripture renders it not proud,

Not “inflated with [His] own importance (Barclay's Daily Study Bible (NT)

Jesus eyes communicate true concern for you.

There is a genuine message that He cares for you.

He’s not going to work you over to get something from you,

Its not a con job.

You get a sense that you are important to Him.

That you matter.

You get a sense that he rather give himself than

assert himself. (Morris, p. 184)

When you matter to someone, they always have time for you.

They enjoy being with you.

They want you to succeed, and are willing to help.

That’s what the eyes of Christ communicate.

When you look in the eyes of Jesus they communicate love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (NIV)

When you look into the eyes of Jesus they communicate patience.

“Patience is the ability to wait without seeking change that benefits you,

and expecting that the best outcome with occur eventually.”

(Burke, 196)

When you look into the eyes of Jesus they communicate kindness

“Kindness is concerned with building others up.” (Burke, p. 197)

When you look into the eyes of Jesus they communicate trust.

Trust is the knowing expectation that you’ll do good.

When you look in the eyes of Jesus the communicate care.

You know that Jesus is concerned about your well being,

You matter.

When you look into the eyes of Jesus they communicate humility.

Not the “I’m your doormat kind of humility,

but the kind that in friendship reaches down to lift you up.”

Can you look Jesus is the eyes?

It’s hard to understand the vastness of the love His eyes communicate,

Because you know how unworthy you are of that love.

It’s hard, because you begin to see the depths of his soul and it makes you

realize the shallowness of your own.

It’s hard, because they are eyes of great expectations,

And deep down we’re worried that we can’t live up to those

expectation.

It’s hard but to gaze into His eyes invites transformation.

It will change you in ways you did not know you could be changed.

1 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV)

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.

You know how to see face to face already.

You practice the spiritual disciplines, those exercises of

Bible reading , prayer, fellowship service, worship, obedience

and especially with this goal, contemplation,

to invite an encounter.

Then as a follower of Jesus what do your eyes communicate to others?

If your eyes are the window to your soul,

What do others see down in you?

Maybe you need an encounter with a spiritual ophthalmologist?

You really should set up an appointment.

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